Self-Publishing Facebook Group
Indie Pub Journal
PBS MediaShift
We have been use this page to organize resources that we recommend for each step of the publishing process. (See our Self-Publishing Workbook.) But the business changes so quickly that it's very difficult to keep up.

We blog on Indie Pub Journal, we formed a Facebook group and write for PBS MediaShift to announce, discuss and deconstruct  all things self-publishing. Click the icons at right to keep up to date and participate.


STEP 1: Author with a mission

STEP 2: Develop your platform and start promoting

Your website: Use AuthorFriendly as your website host and grand central station for promotion activities

Author Photos

Blog Subscriptions

Graphic Designers

STEP 3: Taking care of business

STEP 4: Finish writing and editing

Copy and developmental editors

Self-Editing

STEP 5: Design your book

Cover, branding, logo designers

Interior Book Designers (InDesign)
Illustrators

Author Solutions owns AuthorHouse, Blurb, iUniverse, Xlibris and other author services companies who will help you through design, print, distribution - the whole process. But we don't recommend using them for editing and design. Find out why in this article.
 Lulu, CreateSpace and Wordclay do not charge signup fees. We like to use them  to print cheap proofs and test copies of our books, before we assign an ISBN. When you're ready to send Advance Reading Copies to reviewers you can use them, too.

More and more traditional print companies are expanding to offer author services like editing and book design.

STEP 6: Get your book into the system

  • Bowker for ISBN, SAN, bar codes, plus the Books in Print database.
STEP 7: Print your book

Printers who do POD and offset

Digital short-run printers

Essential Apps & Tools

STEP 8: Sell your book
  • Use your AuthorFriendly website or website with a PayPal-enabled store to sell copies of your book for maximum profit. Do consider an integrated PayPal-Enabled Store.
  • Sell your ebook on Scribd, who now offers print options from partners.
  • Sell your ebook on Smashwords on the web and to all the various ebook readers.

STEP 9: Distribute your book

Here's an article on understanding and getting distribution for self-publishers.

  • Lightning Source will print and distribute your book to resellers. They have offset, POD, and eBook print and distribution services for domestic and foreign markets including Amazon.com. Many publishers use Lightning Source as a complete solution for print, distribution, and sales.
  • CreateSpace provides POD services, fulfillment via their store, and an attractive deal with Amazon (who owns the company) for print book and Kindle sales through amazon.com. They can also enroll you in the Ingram database so bookstores can see (and order) your book.
  • IPG's Small Press United
  • Ingram Emerging Publisher Resources

Ebook Distribution

  • Smashwords is our best recommendation for ebook publishing for devices that need reflowable text (not PDF) and distribution since it has a formatting engine that creates versions of your book to all the different ebook formats, and they distribute the book with very fair pricing.
  • Scribd is a fantastic ebook distribution platform on the web with social features enabled so you can get a following of other writers and readers, too. They have partnered with printers so you and customers can print the book, though it's not as economical as Lightning Source and your own website.
  • Lightning Source, in conjunction with their other printing and distribution services, offers ebook distribution to online ebook retailers of your PDF book, which is only good, of course, for reading on the computer. PDF is not a good format for devices because the text does not reflow.
  • How to get into the iBookstore
Digital Publishing Tools / Ebook Publishing
  • For conversion to IPad, Nook, Kindle and more... the master is Joshua Tallent at eBook Architects
We ran out of room on this one. See this article for a list and recommendations of ebook options including Scribd, Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Guide Gecko, and comments on digital ebook readers, partnerships with author services companies, distribution, and more.

STEP 10: Ongoing promotion

  • Use the features on your website (this one is designed by AuthorFriendly) such as your blog and newsletter, and join forums and participate in social networking on your topic. Look at the site stats to analyze the success of your activities.
  • TalkShoe Radio and BlogTalkRadio are free, browser-based tools that host podcasts.
  • Bestselling author and PR expert Karen Leland offers traditional and social media campaigns for all budgets including blog and radio tours, online press kits, magazine pitches and more.
Books
Useful Apps for Publicity
Publishing Your Ebook

Bookmark this article page to keep track of the ever-evolving options.





See the Indie Pub Journal for frequent breaking news and process tips.